As a photographer through his picture I bought out the noble ancestry of pain , a pain the Shias call Ghame Hussain..

As a grand father I saw him vividly and than while I am writing text I am hit hard in the guts, feeling the pain of another grand father in Mumbai who took his two grand children , girls aged 7 years and the other one and a half year at a Goregaon Mall ..he was using the escalator and his feet slipped thereby the little one falling to her death at the feet of the elevator..this is also human pain,and I can understand his shattering grief and the family's irreparable loss ..

The largest consumption of razor blades in a single day that could be a Guinness World record is perhaps Ashura day in Hyderabad , at the Bargah and on the streets by mourners following the Bibi Ka Alam.,.the streets are littered with them, and as they go on losing the sharp edge , more blades are given to the mourners by the Anjumans and private donors..

Normally the blade is broken in half and slipped between the two fingers beating the chest..to the chant of Ya Hussain Katle Shor..or Ya Sakina Ya Abbas ..

Others tie the blades on short wires and their effectiveness on human flesh is as damaging as the more expensive flagellating blades.

After this gets over at the Bargah the kama matam or cutting of the heads start..shooting all this getting a right place I kept moving into puddles of blood..I am barefeet like the rest of them..

The Hyderabadi Shias Are A Unique Race, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1. The Hyderabadi Shiasare a unique racedoing the blade matamwith souls ablazemen children in unisona heritage of their birthplaceevery stroke hands apaceevery heart is ashuraevery soul is karbalathe essence of realityto showcaseghame hussaina 1400 painthat no yazidcould replacemoharam like thisnever happensin any other placehyderabadthe city of peacethe city of hopefootsteps traceHussein as humanitythey embraceAllah Ho AkbarAllah Be Praised

From 8 Moharam till Ashura - the Shias of Hyderabad dont sleep as some thing or the other is always happening , some majlis , some ritual , and these carry on back to back.

The night before Ashura there was a procession at the Shia cemetery Mir Mousavi which got over pretty late , and early morning the following day people were either going to the Bibi Ka Alawa or coming to the Bargah for Ashura 2009.

The Hyderabadi Shia is a rare breed for him Ghame Hussain is the ultimate , his life his familys life revolves around this which collectively is known as Azadri e Hussain.

The Hyderabadi Shia is a peace loving , law abiding and stays on his side of the fence.

His black clothes are his brandy equity..his curfew pass so to speak, he is never hassled by the cops at all.

They know his motive his life's goal is Moharam and Azadari..the month of sublime pain for the Shias all over the world…

Bastard Dont Shoot My Picture, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1. He is an Anglo Indian man , a street dweller , he lives off the streets, penury poverty reduces man to a speck on the pavement , everybody sees him , but it is Xmas time no one has time for him , or his lack luster existence , I shot this before wishing him Merry Xmas and he hit back with filth and foul words, not that it bothers me , but its a sad state I owe my upbringing to my life spent with Anglos..most important was the Rhubottom family..a very cultured family that lives at Strand Cinema with their members in UK America and Canada..

I knew Allan Gill a great friend and dress designer , he touched us all but than was in a big rush to get back home on the other side of no man land..he died in misery too and it was my other nice friend Bipin Tanna who took care of him till he breathed his last.

To shoot this in entirety I missed the Bibi Ka Alams departure from the Allawa to the various streets of Hyderabad, I caught up with it about 5 pm..However I had shot this in 2003 when I came here both for Ashura and Chehlum.

The Bargah is a very famous Shia citadel of Hyderabad, and Mr Baqar Saab and his family Hyder Raza and Imran had invited me here in sheer humility and love of Imam Hussain.

Al the events re elaborate , of heritage and ancestry of a unique culture not fund anywhere in India , though it is reminiscent of the traditions of Deccani charm and culture pertaining to Shiasm as practiced here.

I have cut my head in most of the cities of India , but Hyderabad is a city I will never forget , as a Shia and as a photographer blogging pain.

I arrived barefeet in Hyderabad on 8 Moharam .. I stayed for a single day at Hotel Charminar , at Dewan Deodhi close to the Bargah of Hazrat Abbas.

I left the hotel the same day a friend Naqi bhai put me up in his house as it is close to the other Dargah of Hazrat Abbas called Choti Bargah..where I have a lot of dear friends well wishers , specially the kids who were there taking care of my simple needs tea and water..

I must mention no cooking takes place in a Shia Darga or at a persons house for 10 days food comes as Niyaz and there is far too much of it it is spread around.

I met my dear patron Nawab Shariyar Saab and his family at Shariyar Palac…

Shooting Moharam in Hyderabad is shooting the pain of the Shias of Hydserabad and how it affects the surroundings too..

I dedicate the Mohram series my next lot to Dr Glenn Losack MD from Manhattan New York, as he was far too keen to come and shoot Moharam in Mumbai or any city of my choice, but he was held back due to unavoidable reasons..

Perhaps we will shoot Chehlum together in Hyderabad God willingly..I missed Glenn as I cut my head twice on Ashura day once at the Bargah of Hazrat Abbas and the other more lethal one behind the Bibi Ka Alam,,there was no one to shoot me when I did Tandav on the soul of Shimr on the Streets of Hyderabad..

I have shot over 3500 pictures in three days from 8 Moharam to Ashura, I arrived from Hyderabad this mo…